As August reappeared on the 67th floor, the familiar oppressive air of the Ancient Swordking Dungeon surrounded him.


    The glowing runes on the dungeon walls pulsed faintly, and the eerie sounds of distant growls echoed through the cavernous space.


    Ahead of him, he spotted the rest of the group waiting near a cleared area, some leaning against the walls while others were seated onrge stones.


    Aria was the first to notice him. She stood up, brushing off her robes. "About time," she voiced while crossing her arms with a teasing smile.


    "Good to see you made it. Thought you might''ve decided to sit this one out," Drask and the others who were unaware of when August arrived at the guild branch had looks of relief upon sighting him.


    Torin smirked. "Maybe he was scared after that undead knight fiasco."


    August rolled his eyes while walking toward them. "If I was scared, I wouldn''t have saved your sorry hide, Torin."


    Torin chuckled, throwing his hands up. "Touché."


    Gareth stood, hefting his sword onto his shoulder. "We''ve already burned two hours in-game waiting for you. Let''s move before other parties catch up."


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m here now," August replied, tightening his gear. "Let''s get to it."


    The group immediately set off, descending the floors with as much speed as they could muster.


    The further they went, the more intense the enemies became. Floors 68 and 69 were filled with Chimeric Reavers. The chimeric Rivers wererge beasts with lion heads and serpent tails.


    Their attacks were powerful and a sweep of their tail packed quite the punch but their teamwork and careful nning allowed them to cut through with rtive ease.


    [ System Notification: Enemies defeated: Chimeric Reaver 8. EXP gained: 7550. ]


    The loot was bing noticeably better. Glowing Mana Crystals, Refined Magic Ores, and Obsidian Fragments littered the area, hidden in treasure chests or dropped by enemies.


    Gareth pocketed a Reinforced Shield te while Drask discovered a Frost-Warded Amulet.


    "Not bad," Drask muttered, holding the amulet up to the light. "This thing will go for at least 20,000 gold in the auction house."


    Viora, their cleric, picked up a small vial from the ground. "A minor Divine Elixir. I''ll hold onto this for emergencies."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    August found his own share of loot as well—a Wind-Swept Cloak Fragment that enhanced speed by 10% when worn. He grinned before tucking it away into his inventory.


    Since he was well aware that he could use everything he found, his extraction would definitely serve him and his business well.


    As they descended deeper, the traps became more frequent and deadly. On one floor, Drask nearly set off a Mana Bomb Trap, narrowly saved by Aria''s quick thinking.


    "Drask!" Aria snapped. "Stop charging ahead like a berserker on steroids!"


    "I *am* a berserker!" Drask shot back with augh. "It''s in the job description!"


    August snorted while kneeling beside the trap to disarm it. "You''ll get us all killed one of these days, you know."


    Torin chimed in, "Pretty sure that''s his long-term n."


    The group shared a briefugh before moving forward. They discovered another rare find—a Teleportation Crystal capable of moving them ten floors up or down instantly.


    "We''re keeping this for emergencies," Aria dered, pocketing the crystal. "No arguments."


    "Wasn''t going to argue," August said, raising his hands. "But if you lose it, it''s on you."


    The moment they reached the 70th floor, they were greeted by a vast, open chamber unlike anything they''d seen so far.


    The walls were adorned with intricate carvings depicting a story of war and vengeance. It wasn''t an umon sight in the Dungeon.


    "Alright," Aria said while stopping to take in their surroundings. "This feels... significant."


    Before anyone could respond, the room darkened, and a shimmering blue light filled the chamber.


    [ System Notification: Projection detected. Witness the history of the Swordking. ]


    "Another one of these," Torin muttered, crossing his arms. "Hope it''s better than thest one. Watching a guy cry for twenty minutes isn''t exactly riveting."


    "Shut up and watch," Gareth elbowed him.


    The projection materialized into a life-sized scene. The Ancient Swordking stood at the head of a long table as his crown glinted in the torchlight.


    Hismanders sat around him with their faces grim and resolute. The Swordking''s presence wasmanding. His broad shoulders and shining armor exuded raw power.


    "Swear your loyalty to me," the Swordkingmanded with a deep and authoritative voice. "Swear it upon your blood, your lives, and your honor. We will avenge my daughter. We will strike down everyst one of them, their families, their kingdoms. No stone will be left unturned."


    Themanders rose in unison, cing their fists over their hearts. "We swear it, my king."


    The scene shifted, showing the Swordking pointing to a map. His handnded on a sprawling kingdom marked with an ominous red symbol.


    "Each of you will lead your armies here. When you arrive, ughter them. Every noble house, every soldier. Leave no one alive."


    The projection faded as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving the group in silence.


    "Well," Drask broke the silence, "that guy doesn''t mess around."


    "That''s an understatement," Viora''s voice tinged with unease as she murmured. "No wonder this dungeon is cursed. Look at the things he''s done."


    Aria frowned. "We still don''t have the full story. There''s more to this than just revenge."


    "Yeah," Torin added, "but revenge is clearly a big part of it. Not that I me him. If someone killed my daughter, I''d probably go berserk too."


    August, who had been quietly watching, spoke up. "There''s more toe. We gotta keep an open mind... Who knows what we''ll find."


    Aria nodded as her gaze lingered on the fading runes. "Let''s keep moving. If we''re lucky, the next floors will give us more answers—and more loot."


    As the group ventured further into the seventieth floor, the atmosphere grew heavier.


    The air was thick with mana, and faint, mythical whispers seemed to echo through the cavernous hallways. The runes on the walls pulsed with an eerie, rhythmic glow, casting flickering shadows across the faces.


    Viora clutched her staff tighter as her eyes scanned their surroundings. "Does anyone else feel like the dungeon is... watching us?"


    Torin scoffed. "It''s probably all in your head. Just keep moving."


    "Maybe it''s because you''ve tripped every other trap we''ve passed," Gareth quipped, smirking as he adjusted his sword on his shoulder.


    Torin groaned. "You''re never letting that go, are you?"


    Aria held up a hand. "Focus, everyone. We''re almost at the end of this floor. No distractions."


    Their journey forward was far from uneventful. The corridor ahead was swarmed with Phantom Beasts, spectral creatures that flickered in and out of visibility.


    Their movements were erratic, making them difficult to track, but the group coordinated their attacksnding destructive hits on them.


    [ System Notification: Enemy defeated: Phantom Beast. EXP gained: 950. ]


    "Keep your attacks steady!" Ariamanded before hurling a ming projectile toward an approaching beast. [ Skill Activated: me Burst ] The fiery explosion consumed the creature, and it let out a piercing shriek before vanishing.


    August darted between enemies with quick movements quick movements.


    [ Skill Activated: Dash ]


    He closed the distance to a beast,nding a decisive strike to its side and severing its core.


    [ Skill Activated: sh ]


    The beast dissolved into a swirl of mana, and August grinned as a new system notification appeared about its defeat.